Fechtènshil

Hear ye, hear ye! A fortnight hence at the edge of the Violet Wood, people! See acts of martial might that few can boast of! All the finest flowers of chivalry in the land will be in attendance or rue the decision to abstain!

— a town crier

In lieu of the wars and infighting that characterized the reign of his predecessor, Richter Zevel of Galeo has all but prevented conflict between the Erlèn and between Galeo and the other neighbouring nations. That leaves a lot of nobility who have earned their titles in blood feeling restless. The solution was to revive an old custom, the Fechtènshilèn. Now the mightiest warriors in the land could fight and trade swings and parries - in the name of points and glory, rather than in the name of military conquest.

Four Days of Fighting and Feasting

The Fechtènshil starts rather innocently. Those wishing to participate or watch the event are invited to a great banquet on the day preceding the first day of festivities. The host of the Fechtènshil often verbally acknowledges the great warriors that have been invited on this day, who are spend the night in tents outside the city walls like a besieging army.
The next day is pure preparation and pomp. Warriors make sure that their armour and weapons are in their best condition and their warhorses have their best barding and are sufficiently groomed. For the afternoon of the first day is known as the Wersollingsthey, the "day of presentation." The entire field of contestants for the event go on parade in the city streets, accompanied by music and a crowd of onlookers wanting to see the "flowers of the Galvan nation" in the flesh. The parade ends at the "proving grounds," usually a small field outside of the city where the local nobility have erected a couple of fences to wall off the next days' events. That night, alliances are formed and broken as the nobility plan their course of action for the next day, a serious deliberation that many have likened to wartime strategy.
The second day is when the fighting begins in earnest. Nobles of all types search out rivals and challengers, ringing the pommel of their weapon against the shield of their mark which has been hanging outside their tent for this exact purpose. While there have been reports of people decrying "bullying" of inexperienced warriors, most challenges are met with eager acceptance. The combatants then head out to the first of the three fenced areas which is known as the "arena". Wooden benches have been erected to serve as seating for onlookers who cheer as the combatants trade blows to determine the best fighter. The first cry for mercy ends these fights, which are meant to show fighting prowess, not an excuse for butchery.
The third day intersperses more of these fights with the second field's activity, a borrowed Soferenz activity known as Sparfechtèn. Armed with spears and mounted on horses, two combatants charge at each and aim to snap the spear's point against the shield of their opponent while simultaneously trying to prevent their opponent to do the same. The first to do this twice wins the bout, although if a combatant is ever knocked from their horse, the other wins automatically. Fights similar to the second day's continue, although the Sparfechtèn tends to draw away most of the crowd.
The fourth and final day is nothing short of a pitched battle, taking place on the third and final field. Throughout the course of the previous days, the host has been keeping a tally of the best warriors and on the night of the third day, a series of cards are distributed to the attending warriors. Half of the warriors receive a card with a blue diamond on it, the other half a card with a red diamond. On the morning of the fourth day, the two sides square up and charge at one other. Depending on the number of warriors in attendance, the ensuing fight might take a couple of hours or all day. Warriors are asked to refrain from killing one another, but can absolutely batter and bruise each other until they're blue. The host eventually decides the side who has won the battle, as well as the fighter or fighters who have distinguished themselves the most in the Fechtènshil. Everyone is invited to another gigantic banquet, which concludes that season's Fechtènshil.

Pronunciation

FEKH-ten-sheel

Related Organizations

• Richterland of Galeo

Related Ethnicities

• Galvan

Setting Up A Fechtènshil

Most of the Fechtènshilèn are set up by the Galeorichter himself, as that way the participants and the crowds feel a sense of national solidarity. However, there is nothing in the laws surrounding the practice that say that the Richter has to be the host. In fact, a more regional Fechtènshil was held in Dunklèn last summer. While the practice is constantly evolving as it starts to gain widespread popularity, it appears that those wishing to hold a Fechtènshil need only to have the permission of the Richter to do so, which Richter Zevel has given freely.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd have thought them going off to war!"

Kampyonèn

Those who distinguish themselves the most in the Fechtènshil are declared the Kampyon, a newly-invented term that comes from the Galvis word for "warrior." A Kampyon enjoys a great deal of prestige in the eyes of the Crown and the hearts of the nation. They are the guest of honour at the final feast, may be given a high posting in the royal court, or could have a suitably-lengthy poem written in their honour. All this, of course, until someone inevitably beats them in the next season's event.

The Fechtènshil is nothing more than a demonic bloodbath that desecrates the sanctified name of the Lady of the Crossroads. It's only a matter of time before these violent "games" ferry the best of our youth to an early grave. The fact they haven't been banned yet is a blemish on the honour of our great nation.

— A Crossroads priest

All images in this article where created by me, EmperorCharlesII, unless otherwise credited.